§§§¨§¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§             ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨             ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§             the alvar fields             ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§             $$$##########$$$             ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ from   north   to  south,   thirty   odd ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ kilometers.  from  west  to  east,  four ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ thousand meters. from topsoil to  stone, ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ a foot or two. no roots  can  fester, no ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§             dust can linger.             ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ here  is earth,  clay,  and  sturdy  low ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ plants.  bushes  frame  the  strip.  the ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§ earth  is bare  in  patches as large  as ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                you and me.               ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§ cross it to get to  the  ocean, or don't ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§          to stay where you are.          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
¨¨§¨§¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§¨§¨§§¨§
¨§§¨§¨§¨§§                                          ¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨§